Michael Cole interviewed Daniel Bryan. Cole said that Bryan's Money in the Bank win was a fluke, and that Bryan would probably wait until someone was hurt to cash it in and become a fluke champion. Bryan said that he would cash it in at WrestleMania.

Michael Cole interviewed Daniel Bryan. Cole said that Bryan's Money in the Bank win was a fluke, and that Bryan would probably wait until someone was hurt to cash it in and become a fluke champion. Bryan said that he would cash it in at WrestleMania.

Perfect, I think, if they stick with it.

Just what I was hoping to hear. Gives him plenty of time to get the crowd behind him and build up a story properly.

Apparently Meltzer gave Punk-Cena 5 stars. First one in WWF/E since 1997 (HBK-Taker HIAC), first one in North America since 2005 (AJ Styles-Samoa Joe-Chris Daniels in TNA), and Punk's 2nd career 5 star match (Punk-Joe in ROH in 2005). Kinda surprised that there's not more recent HBK matches (first WM match vs. Taker or his match against Angle? And how in the hell did they never book a Punk-HBK match?), but whatever.

I'm assuming this came from his site, as it t'was posted here, hope it's not "premium" info or anything...

Quote:

C.M. Punk pinned John Cena to win the WWE title in 33:42

Punk was super over. Lawler said he’s never seen this much home town emotion in his career. Yes, Jerry Lawler, who got this kind of a reaction every time he challenged for the world title in Memphis over a dozen year or so period said this.

Punk was wearing a T-shirt that read, “Best in the World,” which is kind of gimmick pilfering. The announcers were pushing this as one of the biggest matches in the history of the promotion, and at the end, you probably could make a great case for it. Fans started with a “You can’t wrestle” chant at Cena. Punk was great at working the crowd, making a facial like, “You’re chanting this at me,” sarcastically, and then pointing to Cena.

Cena took Punk down and Punk put Cena in the guard. Cole then announced that Punk had Cena in the Anaconda vise. Yes, the freaking guard was called the Anaconda Vise. Made worse that at the finish, Punk actually used the Anaconda Vise and Cole had no clue what it was.

Then Cole put over Chicago, saying it’s been one of the greatest WWE cities for the past 40 to 50 years. If that’s the case, where are Crusher and Bruiser’s Hall of Fame plaques. Punk used a hiptoss, dropkick and headlock takeover spot.

The announcers then brought up the 1997 Survivor Series. They noted that happened because Bret Hart wanted to leave the company with the championship belt. You’d think when he came back and they settled everything, that they wouldn’t keep telling that story.

Cena tried the Attitude Adjustment, Punk tried the GTS, and both escaped. Punk threw some kicks and Cena clotheslined the hell out of him. Dueling chants. Even here, the women were cheering for Cena, even though this was as loud as any pro-Cena reaction ever (RVD at the Manhattan Center in 2006 was as loud, but there’s a difference between 2,500 people and nearly 15,000 people).

Right after that chant, Lawler said he didn’t think there was one Cena fan in the building. Thank God the crowd was so great because this announcing was pure shit. Punk put Cena in a triangle (three announcers, not one had a clue what he was doing) and Cena stood up. Punk started throwing elbows before Cena could drop him, and then tossed Cena out of the ring.

Punk went outside, and gave a high-five to Colt Cabana. This led to a “Colt Cabana” chant, which wasn’t acknowledged. Punk used a kneedrop off the middle rope onto Cena’s back while Cena was on the apron. Punk landed some knees, whipped Cena into the buckles and Punk missed a tackle and flew into the post.

More dueling chants. Cole quoted Gorilla Monsoon, saying, “If you’re not in this business to be champion, you’re in the wrong business.” He may have said that as a worked quote, but the Monsoon quote he always said, because he hated people who were in wrestling to gratify their egos and not get business, was “If you’re not in this business to make money, you’re in the wrong business.”

Punk came off the top rope with a crossbody block, but landed low, and instead of landing on Cena’s chest, landed on his knee. Cena appeared to injure his right knee. Cena tried to walk it off. It was apparently legit and not serious, because it didn’t play into the rest of the match. Cena then suplexed Punk from inside the ring to the floor. Cena, when taking the fall, twisted completely to land on his left side and protect his right knee. Cena with a fisherman suplex. Booker T talked about how Cena is turning the crowd toward him. He said the same thing about Orton, and it wasn’t true in either match.

Cena got a near fall with a powerslam. Punk started throwing punches with the crowd popping for each punch. Cena used a form of abdominal stretch, but Punk eye raked and hip tossed out. They knocked each other down with simultaneous clotheslines. Punk got a near fall with a schoolboy, but then missed a knee into the corner. Cena slammed him and the crowd was booing like crazy.

Cena went into his usual comeback phase. Punk crossed him up with a kick to the head. Crowd went nuts. Punk landed a flying knee that knocked Cena out of the ring. Punk followed with a tope. Punk went for a springboard move but Cena moved and Punk fell into the ring. Cena did the five knuckle shuffle, and went for the AA, but Punk landed on his feet, kicked Cena in the face and swept his leg for a near fall.

Punk went for the GTS, but Cena reversed into a gut wrench for a near fall. Punk with two flying knees, the second of which looked like it landed right on the chin like an MMA blow. He followed with a bulldog and a springboard clothesline for a near fall. Punk threw some kicks to the chest, but Cena countered with the STF. Punk made the rope.

Punk came back with a kick to the head and Cena kicked out. Punk used a crossbody and Cena rolled through and picked Punk up and put him on his shoulders for the AA again. Punk escaped, went for the GTS, but Cena reversed back into the STF in an awesome spot. Punk went to the ropes, but Cena pulled him into the center of the ring.

Punk put his hand up to tap, and then got a look on his face as if he mentally said to himself, “I’m not tapping.” He then reversed out of the STF into the Anaconda vise. Crowd was going crazy. Cena ended up breaking the hold, and landed the AA, but Punk kicked out. Place was electric at this point.

Cena came off the top for his leg slice, but Punk side stepped and went for the pin, but Cena kicked out. Punk did the Frank Shamrock sleep deal (the one Mickey Rourke used in “The Wrestler”) and went for the GTS. Cena got out again, and snapped Punk’s neck on the top rope. Cena hit the leg slice for a near fall, hit the AA, and Punk kicked out a second time.

Cena put Punk on his shoulders and climbed up to the middle rope for another AA, but Punk started throwing elbows to get out of it. Punk used a Frankensteiner off the top rope, then hit a flying knee and the GTS, but Cena flew out of the ring. Cena got back in the ring.

Vince and Laurinatis came out. Cena got the STF on and Vince yelled to ring the bell and sent Laurinaitis to the ring to ring it. Cena broke the hold, cut off Laurinaitis and punched him. Punk used the GTS and got the pin.

Vince started screaming to cut the music and that this isn’t going to end this way. He screamed for Del Rio to come out. Del Rio ran to the ring and got kicked in the head. Punk then ran into the crowd and the show went off the air. After the show ended and Laurinaitis got up, Vince decked Laurinatis again.

This was more than just a great match, but a career making moment. *****

I find it interesting what qualifies for premium stuff nowadays. Seems to me like that's just a move-by-move recap of the match with an opinion thrown in every couple sentences.

As much as I love Chris Jericho and think he's a wonderful wrestler, Cena now has more 5-star matches than he does. Granted, it's 1-0, but still.....

I thought it was a 5-star match but it was 90% due to Punk. I though Cena largely held his own in the match. But the build was entirely Punk, meaning the match itself felt like a big deal completely and solely due to Punk, the match centered around Punk, the post match centered around Punk. Cena was a platform, albeit a pretty unsteady one at times during the match, but even so deserves credit for being that, but I'm hoping 5 years from now we're looking at this as Punk's career-defining moment and not just a great one-time match before he was shuffled back to the midcard. It was the kind of match we should be talking about in 25 years, and not just because of what happened in the ring, but the entire spectacle beginning to end (whatever that ends up being) and that's to me what makes it one of the greats.

I thought it was a 5-star match but it was 90% due to Punk. I though Cena largely held his own in the match. But the build was entirely Punk, meaning the match itself felt like a big deal completely and solely due to Punk, the match centered around Punk, the post match centered around Punk. Cena was a platform, albeit a pretty unsteady one at times during the match, but even so deserves credit for being that, but I'm hoping 5 years from now we're looking at this as Punk's career-defining moment and not just a great one-time match before he was shuffled back to the midcard. It was the kind of match we should be talking about in 25 years, and not just because of what happened in the ring, but the entire spectacle beginning to end (whatever that ends up being) and that's to me what makes it one of the greats.

Pretty much how I feel, except I think you have to credit the crowd quite a bit as well. As much of a Punk mark as I am, even I don't think he gets the same reaction anywhere else. Maybe he gets cheered over Cena in NY, LA or wherever, but not as violently as it happened in Chicago (with the possible exception of Hammerstein Ballroom full of ECW fans...).

And if this turns out to be "one great match/moment" before Punk goes back to the midcard upon his return, WWE is dumber than I thought. There's plenty of new fans and excitement over where the company can/will go from here and they'd be stupid not to cash in on Punk's popularity & talent. He needs to be a full-time main eventer, including a big match at WM 28.

I've never had to ask this before, but do they have Blu Ray releases for anything other than Wrestlemania? Cause I'd love to have MITB in all its hi-def glory, at least until they get off their asses & release a CM Punk DVD...

Colt is a funny bastard, his podcast is really good too (The Art of Wrestling). If you are looking for a good wrestling documentary, he was recently in one called "The Wrestling Road Diaries" that covers him, Bryan Danielson and Sal Rinauro on a ten day roadtrip back when they were all together in ROH right before Dragon left for WWE. It's a great look into their lives as indie wrestlers.

According to Wrestling Observer, this is the 5th straight summer where Vince has had some sort of a power struggle angle...

07: Vince's limo blows up, returns after Chris Benoit's death.
08: Raw stage collapses on him during that million dollar giveaway thing.
09: Sold Raw to Donald Trump, ended the angle after stock prices dropped.
10: Nexus attacks Vince, leaves him in a coma.
11: HHH relieves him of his duties.

And on another note, Stone Cold wants WWE to sign Samoa Joe when his TNA contract is up. I have no idea when that's scheduled to happen, but I'd like to see it (assuming he doesn't get the Braden Walker treatment...).

@steveaustinBSR Steve Austin
WWE should sign @SamoaJoe as soon as his TNA contract is up. One of my favorite workers in today's game. Needs a full green light push.

Yeah, my hope this time is that it's an angle they stick with, and they really are transitioning to HHH permanently on TV, the way they're supposedly beginning to transition behind the scenes (rumor is that HHH has been getting a lot of grooming this year). Vince can still make the occasional appearance, but let the authority Vince character rest in peace.